A pilot project for the new city will run in a small 55-hectare area, before rolling out across the entire city if successful.

The potential of pistachio shells was first uncovered by French environmental engineering company Burgeap, which reported last year that the local variety known as Antep was the most feasible source of energy in the region.

Burgeap said as much as 60 percent of the area’s heating could be met from renewable energy resources.

The project is still pending approval from local authorities.

While Gulec declined to provide a firm timeline, she said that if officials at the municipal level reach an agreement — and if private land owners are convinced — it will be implemented in a “very short period of time.”